The Maple Leafs’ No. 1 netminder refused to talk to media following a 4-1 loss against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, no doubt shell-shocked after making 44 saves while his teammates mustered only a pop-gun attack on Panthers goalie Tim Thomas.

“I was just a little frustrated,” Bernier said. “We did not get the win. I thought it was a big game in front of our dads, and we just could not do it.”

Bernier’s frustration should go beyond one game. Time and again the case has been made that the Leafs would be a lot worse off than their 30-22-6 record if it wasn’t for the stand-on-the-head kind of goaltending they have had from Bernier and James Reimer.

In just 10 of their 58 games this season have the Leafs outshot their opponent, and they have allowed an NHL-high 2,108 shots. In 28 NHL games this season, a team has registered at least 48 shots on goal. The Leafs have allowed at least 48 shots on six occasions, the most in the NHL.

There’s the argument that so far, the Leafs have made out just fine no matter the shots they allow, given their playoff position in the Eastern Conference. At some point, though, won’t it catch up to them?

Is coach Randy Carlyle concerned that a goalie can get worn down mentally, not to mention physically, when such great performances are wasted, as Bernier’s was versus the Panthers?

“I guess you worry,” Carlyle said. “But they are guys who are accustomed to playing a lot of hockey. I don’t look at it as something that you would have to put an exclamation point on that one individual would have to play so many games out of the next 10 or nine or three or whatever. We take it on a game-to-game basis.”

Bernier has been getting most of those games, starting 10 of the past 13. Bernier was unhappy for giving up three goals against the Panthers, who got the fourth as he watched from the bench in favour of an extra skater.

“I have to get back on track and keep it under three,” Bernier said. “We are a high-scoring team, so if I feel like if I give up two or less, we have a pretty good chance to win.

“Three goals is a lot. You have to find a way to stop one more.”

And the Leafs have to find a way to stop making their goalies work overly hard for victories.

“We know we can’t rely on our goalie like that every night,” forward Joffrey Lupul said. “Could have been 5-0, 6-0, probably. We look at it like a bit of a wasted effort, because that is one if we played a little better and capitalized on some chances, he could have stole us one.

Maple Leafs' Bernier frustrated by loss to Panthers

The Maple Leafs’ No. 1 netminder refused to talk to media following a 4-1 loss against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, no doubt shell-shocked after making 44 saves while his teammates mustered only a pop-gun attack on Panthers goalie Tim Thomas.

“I was just a little frustrated,” Bernier said. “We did not get the win. I thought it was a big game in front of our dads, and we just could not do it.”

Bernier’s frustration should go beyond one game. Time and again the case has been made that the Leafs would be a lot worse off than their 30-22-6 record if it wasn’t for the stand-on-the-head kind of goaltending they have had from Bernier and James Reimer.

In just 10 of their 58 games this season have the Leafs outshot their opponent, and they have allowed an NHL-high 2,108 shots.